Sacrifice
by rebekatherine
Summary: When a deadly evil returns to Equestria, Celestia is left with a difficult choice. Let Equestria be destroyed for the fate of one mare, or destroy the bearer of the Element of Loyalty?


"That's already 13 disappearances this month!"

Princess Celestia's booming voice thundered throughout the halls of Leo Palace. Many royal figures were present at this meeting of powers regarding certain incidents that had occurred prior.

"Please, dear sister, calm down."

Another young alicorn, Princess Luna, placed a hoof on her elder sister's shoulder.

"I understand how you must feel, but shouting is not going to resolve this issue."

The sun princess sighed and lowered her head as she sat on her haunches. Many ponies, griffins, and other equestrian creatures had turned up missing or in very bad condition in the past 2 months alone. No one knows who or what could possibly be causing this catastrophe, for when asked about their traumatic experience, the young mares and stallions could remember nothing. Seated around the wooden table were many notable figures in the land of Equestria. The two royal alicorn sisters: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the Griffin Emperor Titus, the Zebra Leader Allaura, and the Council of Four.

"Celestia, believe me, we all understand your frustration, but first, we must determine what is known about the unknown attacker and it's victims."

Emperor Titus added. Griffin Emperor Titus was the current ruler of the Land of Leo, the place where the Griffin race lives, many hundred miles away from Canterlot. His feathers were a combination of ivory and ebony colors, splattered with pebble gray splotches from the forelegs to the tuft of fur at the end of his tail. His beak was pure golden, glowing with radiance every time he spoke, and his eyes were a piercing light blue, contrasting his dark coat.

"My subjects are also very worried, as some of our own have been taken as well."

"Titus . . . I apologize for my outburst."

Celestia raised her head with confidence.

"I am worried my assumptions may be true."

"What assumptions do you have, your highness?"

An elder from the Council of Four asked inquisitively.

The Coucil of Four are four esteemed ponies who work close to the two rulers: two earth ponies, a unicorn, and a pegasus. They are responsible for their own race; knowing who, what, and where everything stands, that each city has their priorities straight, their responsibilities managed well, and that no other city or race has a quarrel with the other. They all look much younger for their age, as Celestia cast an age extending spell upon them many years past, to keep them alive and well for perhaps another great catastrophe that may occur in Equestria.

"What are your thoughts on this pressing matter, princess?" Elric, the unicorn present in the Council of Four, asked curiously. Celestia's voice became stern, and her stare hardened.

"Elric, you remember the hellhounds, don't you?"

The room became silent.

Not one soul said a word, which was conformation enough that Elric _did _remember.

"Y-yes, Princess."

"Princess Celestia, what are the hellhounds?" Zebra Chief Allaura questioned.

She was an elegant creature. Her stripes were perfectly placed together, and her mane was almost as long as Celestia's, with thin, golden streaks peaking out through the ivory. Her eyes were a beautiful, rich, ruby color, and the silver jewelry she wore complemented her pale coat so well, you could easily mistake her for a ghost. She wore a long white shawl, draped like a waterfall you would see in Heaven from her forelegs to her back hooves.

"Hellhounds. . ."

The word resonated in the room for what felt like years.

The Council shivered with fear, as if the very name "hellhounds" was scary enough.

"They are vicious beings. The very entities of darkness."

Celestia's horn shone with a pale glow, casting a light over the room. Scenes from what resembled a warzone played over and over. Cheif Allaura gasped, Emperor Titus' eyes widened with shock, and the Council of Four shielded their eyes from this monstrosity, all but Elric.

"A very, very long time ago, when Luna and I were young and foolish, a great evil was cast over our homeland."

A great creature darted across the flashback, sending ponies flying.

" They are creatures that have always been present in our land, and they are extremely dangerous. They attacked Equestria for years, silently striking weakened ponies and taking them as their own."

A disfigured pegasus began to rise from the ashes, her wings deformed, her coat blackened, and her eyes were as bloodthirsty as they come.

"You mean, they can transform other creatures into,"

Emperor Titus paused for a brief moment.

"Those things?"

He referenced to the creatures swiftly attacking in front of him. A scream of pain resonated throughout the room, as to confirm the griffin's statement.

"They eventually grew much too strong to simply ignore. They launched an attack on my castle, taking nearly the entire city under it's demonic grasp."

This time is was Luna who spoke.

"We used an ancient magic, long before the Elements of Harmony were formed, to lock them away inside an enchanted dimension my sister I created to house their evil."

The flashbacks faded, and the room was silent again. A younger council member, a pegasus named Thunderbind, spoke first.

"Why not just destroy them?"

The question hung in the air for what felt like a century.

"Yes, why didn't you just destroy them to begin with? You said yourself you ignore the threat at first, perhaps if you had taken it more seriously they wouldn't have grown."

The regal zebra smirked, it seemed she had finally found a fault in Equestria's great leader.

"Are you trying to say we were oblivious to the fact that our subjects were in danger?" Luna defended fiercely.

"I have to agree with Allaura. If you hadn't ignored the impending danger threatening your little ponies, just maybe we wouldn't be having this problem now." Titus' eyes grew cold and dark. It wasn't hard to tell that things were about to get ugly.

"We did not simply cast off our subjects, Titus! There were special complications that we had to consider-"

"When my children are in danger, protecting them is my first priority! All complications aside!"

Allaura's hooves slammed the table hard, silencing Luna once more.

"If you had not been so lazy and _selfish _my subjects would not be disappearing!"

Emperor Titus was completely enraged now.

"Titus! Calm yourself! Please let us explain-"

"There is no more explaining! This must stop!"

"Allaura!"

"Tell us _princess. _What special complications were so important as to let the innocent be taken?!"

"ENOUGH!"

Celestia's wings flared and her eyes were red hot like the sun she ruled. The room became immendiately still.

"I respect you both, I do. This-" Celestia turned away from the table, "-is something that you do not have the knowledge nor the power to handle. Thank you for your time."

With a flick of her horn, the two sisters, and the Council of Four vanished from the palace.


End file.
